Improvement in paper-tins



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. BOSWELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

- IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-TINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,676, dated May 15, 1866.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. BoswELL,`

of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Paper-Tins; and I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specilication, in which- Figure l is a plan or top view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention consists in certain improvements in the common paper-tin by which I make it serve 'several purposes in addition to its primitive use as a `paper-tin, viz., that of a letter-clasp, a rule, a ruler by which to draw ink or pencil lines, a receptacle for penholders and pencils, and a calendar, for any of which purposes it can be used without injuring its qualities for any one particular purpose.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the paper-tin, which may be made in the ordina-ry or any other suitable way. To this tin I adapt my improvements without diverting it from its original use. First, in order to make the rule represented by the letter B, I paint or otherwise mark on one side of the tin,near the edge, graduations for inches, Sto., as on an ordinary rule. This is on the edge that lies iat down upon the paper in order to hold the paper while being torn along its edge; but the graduations may be made on the other edge and end also if desired.

C is a calendar,(shown in red)an ordinary small-sized card-calendar, which is aiixed to the tin by thrusting its corners through slots a c a a, made through the tin for the purpose. By this means the calendar is kept securely in` place and is always in a convenient place for consultation. v

D represents the clasp or file. It consists of an elastic band. The ends are drawn through slots b b, made through the tin for that purpose, the ends being secured by tying a knot therein orotherwise, as found expedient. Upon the band I place a ring, o, to render more easy the lifting of the band for the placing under it of memorandums, letters, or the like. It therefore answers the purpose of an ordinary letter-clasp.

E is a block of metal or wood, secured in any proper way onthe face of the tin, and it has holes d cl made in its top, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. These holes answer for receptacles into which to thrust the ends of pen-holders or pencils for holding the same in a convenient place, thus dispensing with ordinary penracks. It also serves as a knob by which to catchhold of or lift np'the tin, and it made of metal it would add a new feature to the article-that of a paper-weight.

To make the tin answer the purpose of a ruler I-makeindeutations c o along near the edges ot" one side thereof, the indented metal.

protruding out sufciently on the under side to form feet ee (see Fig. 2) on the under side ot the tin. These feet c c' serve to raise the tin far enough up from the paper to enable a pen to be used for ruling lines, which could not be done were it not raised.

Instead of the indentations I may place drops ot' solder along where the feet o' o are, or adopt some similar way to raise one edge of the tin up for the purpose.

Ihus it will be seen I combine in one article a paper-.tin by which to tear paper, a rule by which to measure, a ruler by which to draw ink-lines, a letter-clasp for holding memorandums, letters, 85o, a calendar in a handy place for reference, and a pen-rack or holder for holding pens and pencils, the same answering for a handle by which to easily lift the article, as well, if it be made heavy, to give sutcient weight to the article so as to make it serve as a paper-weight.

.Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The arrangement of the calendar-holders.

a, elastic band D, and pelrholdingblock E, in combination with a paper-tin, ot' which one side is graduated and the other raised by projections to act as a ruling-guide, in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

EDWARD H. BOSWELL. `Witnesses:

GHAELEs J. Fto'r, CEAS. L. TEYNEMAN. 

